Center Stage
by broadwaybaby2010
Summary: Troy has concocted a plan to finally have some time alone with Gabriella. What will happen when Troy convinces Ms. Darbus to let he and Gabriella have more rehearsal time in the theatre?


Center Stage

_A/N: Here is my obligatory message that I don't own High School Musical or any of the affiliated characters or concepts. I am simply using them as presets for my own creative process. Hope you all enjoy this bit of Troy/Gabriella smut! (And by that, I mean that this story is rated M because of its smut content. But that is the only warning you are going to get.) _

"Okay, good work everyone. See you tomorrow," said Ms. Darbus, releasing the cast of _Senior Year_ from their long rehearsal. Several people let out groans and sighs of relief as they grabbed their backpacks and trudged their way out the stage door.

"Ms. Darbus? Would you mind if Gabriella and I stayed and worked out that last bit of choreography for our duet? It still seems awkward…" Troy asked from the lip of the stage, causing Ms. Darbus to turn around and furrow her eyebrows.

"Mr. Bolton, it's late."

"I know, but I want to get it right now so I don't learn it wrong." Gabriella had been gathering her belongings from the house of the theatre and started approaching Troy, as he was her ride home.

"Alright. You and Ms. Montez have my permission to stay, but I really must get home. I have Shakespeare papers to grade. I'll lock up. Just make sure the doors latch on your way out and that you turn off the lights." She swished her scarf more securely around her neck and headed for the back of the auditorium.

Chad, who had been observing the scene with his arm slung around Taylor's shoulders called out, "Hey Hoops, really? Extra rehearsal time?"

"What? It's better than getting yelled at for doing it wrong later!"

"Alright. Whatever. See ya man," and he escorted Taylor out the door.

Troy and Gabriella were left alone in the hollow auditorium. Gabriella dropped her messenger bag and climbed the stairs back onto the stage. "Troy, I thought the choreography went well tonight…. What felt off?"

"Gabi…" Troy stared at her, not believing that she didn't understand.

"What?"

Troy let out an incredulous sigh. "We're alone."

"Yes… everyone else has gone home…"

"Babe, seriously? We're alone. For the first time in… I don't know how long. We have time to ourselves. No parents walking in on our conversations, no basketball hurrying me away, no Kelsi fixing note problems during our breaks at rehearsal, no Chad and his epic timing to interrupt everything. Just us."

Gabriella let a smile cross her lips. "Look at you, Wildcat, scheming up a plan just to get me all alone."

"You bet." Troy took ahold of his girlfriend's hips and pulled her in tight against him and leaned down to give her a kiss. Gabriella had to go up onto her tiptoes to deepen her contact with him as his tongue slid just between her lips, as if making sure that it was okay. She gave him permission, darting her tongue out to meet his. Passion continued to rise until…

"Troy what are we doing?!" Gabriella said, backing down.

"Um, I thought we were making out…."

"We're in the middle of the stage, Troy!"

"Don't think about it. Here." Troy ran off to stage right and fiddled with a few of the buttons in the large electrical box. Soon he had found the right combination and the stage went dark other than the Christmas lights that were strung around the prom set, currently on stage. Troy returned to the stage where Gabriella was waiting for him, thoroughly impressed.

"Troy! How did you know how to do that?"

Troy shrugged. "Eh, so I owe the lighting guys a favor."

"You think of everything, Wildcat," and Gabriella flung herself back into Troy's arms to connect their lips. Knowing that Gabi was just a bit too short for this to be comfortable for her, Troy backed her up until her heels hit the bottom stair of the set and he gently eased her to sit, his hands roaming her back, searching for the zipper to her dress. Finally finding it, he slid it down slowly, leaving him able to slide the sleeves of her dress off of her shoulders, exposing her floral bra. Troy's hand slid back up her arm and gently cupped her breast, squeezing slightly, eliciting a moan from Gabriella that sent shockwaves through his body. Troy moved his lips down the smooth cheek to rest on her exposed neck.

Gabrielle gasped. "T-Troy, you can't leave a," she swallowed hard, "a mark. Our friends….mmm….our families…."

Troy pulled away, causing an internal groan that Gabriella suppressed. "You're mine, Gabriella. I don't want anyone to ever doubt that. I see how other guys look at you." Gabriella made a face at this. Other guys looked at her? She hadn't ever noticed. But she did notice how girls looked at Troy…. Troy leaned back down and sucked hard on a point on Gabriella's neck that made her body arch up toward him. He didn't pull away until he was sure a secure, purple spot rested in that place. "Now no one can doubt that you are taken, that you are mine and that no one else can have you. I love you."

Gabriella opened her eyes, not even realizing they had closed, and looked into the deep blue eyes that showed determination. "I love you too, Troy." She captured his lips again as she ran her hands up under his shirt, feeling his toned chest under her soft touch.

Troy's hand inched its way up her thigh until it disappeared underneath he billowy material of the skirt of her dress. Troy could feel Gabriella tense under him. Not wanting to upset her, he pulled away and looked down into her soft, brown eyes, his other hand brushing hair out of her face. "Are you okay?" he asked sincerely.

She nodded. "Yeah. Yeah I am. Just… be gentle?"

"Of course, babe." Not breaking eye contact he moved his hand to rest on top of her panties, feeling the intimate heat radiating. As his finger pulled the layer aside and gently dipped in to explore, Gabriella hissed and Troy froze. "Did I hurt you?"

She gulped, forcing herself to form words. "No. No, it feels good." This gave Troy more courage and he slid his finger up to find the sensitive nub that caused Gabriella to throw her head back. He could feel her wetness, causing more tightness in the front of his jeans. As Troy drew slow circles around her clit, her hips began to move and guttural noises came from her throat.

Troy could hardly take it. His hand slowed and Gabriella started to open her eyes to see what was wrong. Had her noises scared him away? Seeing her stir, Troy fully retracted and stood, walking away before she could see the state he was in, leaving a stunned Gabriella on the stairs. "Troy?"

"Yeah?" he answered, not looking back.

"Did I do something wrong?"

This took a minute to compute with Troy. She thought _she _had done something wrong? "No, Gabi. Of course not!"

She got to her feet and, holding her dress on, crossed toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. "Then what's the matter?"

Troy didn't really know what to say. He knew he had to explain in some way to alleviate Gabriella's worries. "I… um… I got a little carried away."

"Troy, I promise it felt good. So good."

"No, I mean…" he took one her hands from his waist and put it just below his belt line. Gabriella took a deep breath and Troy let her hand drop. "I'm sorry. We should go…"

"Troy! Stop!" He turned around to face her, forgetting for a moment about his embarrassing condition. Gabriella softened. "Doesn't that mean you liked it too?"

"Yeah. I liked it a lot." Troy diverted his eyes.

"So what's the problem then?"

"I just…. I don't want to scare you or push you or make you feel obligated to—"

"Did you ever think to just ask? Talk to me Troy!"

Troy took a deep breath. "Do you want to mess around some more?"

Gabriella giggled at how shy he was being. "_Big basketball man is nervous when it came to sex? Way to break another stereotype, Troy," _she thought to herself and then let her dress drop, leaving it to pool on the floor around her feet. Under Troy's gaze, however, her momentary confidence left and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I know I'm no cheerleader…"

"Hey." Troy quickly closed the gap between them. "Hey. Look at me. I don't want a cheerleader. I want you. You're gorgeous," he told her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and gently laying his lips on top of hers.

"Troy?" He looked down into her eyes, burning for him. He grasped just below her round bottom and lifted her up, headed back for the platform and stairs. "Wait, Troy. Those stairs are not very comfortable…" Troy took a moment to think and then walked them over to the side of the stage where the round seating unit was kept from earlier in the prom scene. He laid her down gently and then pushed it out into the mood lighting, causing Gabriella to giggle. "Haha, do you have some sort of fascination with being center stage, Wildcat?"

Troy threw off his shirt and took a seat next to her, resuming the passionate kissing from earlier. They broke apart for Troy to quip, "Well, I guess I picked up one trait from working with Sharpay: the need to perform center stage," breaking the little bit of tension from the earlier situation. They both giggled before locking eyes again and leaning back in for another kiss. As this kiss grew more passionate, Gabriella laid back, her feet still on the ground. Troy then was able to climb on top of her by straddling her hips. He reached behind her back and unclasped her bra after a bit of fumbling and dropped it off to the side. Seeing Gabriella laying before him, trusting him with the power over her and her body, he got slightly nervous again, pulling back to take a deep breath.

She looked up at Troy and cupped his cheek. "Troy, I trust you. I love you." She ran her hand down his shoulder and arm and down to the waistband of his jeans. "It's okay," she said before fiddling with the button and zipper, making the jeans loose enough to start sliding off his hips. Troy stepped out of his jeans, leaving them both in their underwear, Troy's erection evidently straining. "Stop thinking, Troy."

"Hey now, isn't that usually my line to you?" It was true. Gabriella was usually the one who overthought every little detail. However, with Troy losing the confident air that he usually exuded, it was obvious that he had picked up the characteristic of over-thinking from his girlfriend.

"It is. But you always tell me that it's going to be okay. I love you, Troy, and I know you love me. So show me." It was obvious that Gabriella was fighting her normal self-consciousness, but she wanted to show Troy that she was okay with this. She had thought enough about this step of their relationship and she knew that she was okay with it. She lifted her hips slightly and slid her panties down, kicking them off once they reached her ankles.

Troy's breath hitched in his throat and, as if in a trance, he slid his boxer briefs down and stepped out of those as well. Gabriella wrapped her arms underneath his shoulders and pulled him down on top of her. When their bodies collided, Troy snapped back into the situation, rubbing his hands up and down Gabriella's sides and grazing the sides of her breasts. Troy stuck his thumbs out to run over her erect nipples causing Gabriella's hips to buck up to his. Troy groaned at the friction against his pelvis. Seeing this reaction, Gabriella set a rhythm between twisting her tongue inside Troy's mouth and grinding her hips against his, driving him to the brink. "Gabi….I – I—you should probably stop that before—"

"Troy, I'm ready. It's okay." Hearing this, seemed to give Troy the permission he needed and he plunged himself inside her. Gabriella gasped at the stretching sensation she felt and Troy tried to keep still until she was okay, but the feel of her wetness was too much for him. His hips rocked back and forth.

While he was reveling in the sensations he was experiencing, he wanted Gabriella to enjoy this too. He slowed his hips as much as he could and reached down, rubbing circles around the little nub that he knew made Gabriella jump. "Mmm, Troy. So good. Don't stop."

Troy did everything he could to focus on her, but his body desperately needed the friction of movement. His hips started moving again and he knew was close to coming. "Gabi, I…I'm going to…"

Before she could answer, Troy knew he needed to act and he pulled himself out of her, just in time, coming over Gabriella's thighs and the stage floor. Troy's knees barely wanted to hold him and he sat down next to her. "So. Sorry. Gabi. I couldn't…stop it," he said breathlessly.

"It's okay, Troy." She leaned in and kissed him. "I love you."

"No, it's not okay. You didn't…" Troy's made its way between her legs again, finding the place it had held before.

"Oh, Troy! You…you don't have to…"

"Sh. Relax."

Gabriella's eyes drifted closed again, reveling in the feelings Troy was giving her. Soon, she was tensing and calling out his name before her hips slowed their bucking. Seeing Gabriella come excited Troy again and he had to purposefully slow his breathing to try to calm himself down. "Troy, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. You're just…that was really hot. Just… give me a minute." Gabriella reached her hand down and grasped his erection, sliding her hand up and down. "Oh, fuck, Gabi… Mmm." Gabriella kept up her motions until Troy once again released and lay there, try desperately to open his eyes, which seemed to not be able to fight the gravity holding them closed. "Holy fuck!" he said, leaning over to roughly kiss his girlfriend. "You are so amazing, you know that, right?" Gabriella shrugged. "No. Stop that. Stop with the self-doubt. You are wonderful. I love you." The couple finally was able to breathe normally and force their bodies to move. They redressed and Troy checked his phone that had remained in the pocket of his jeans. "Shit," Troy exclaimed, hurrying to find his shirt.

"What's the matter, Troy?" Gabriella asked, stepping off the stage to grab her bag.

"My mom has called 12 times. We are so screwed. We've gotta go!" Troy grabbed the rest of his things and then Gabriella's hand, hurriedly turning out the mood lighting and rushing out the stage door to his truck.

The next afternoon, Troy sat in the house of the theatre with his arm around Gabriella's shoulders, playing with the fringe on her scarf as Sharpay took the stage to rehearse her number. Sharpay walked to the center of the stage as she talked to her director. "Ms. Darbus, did you talk with the lighting designer about my spot light? I think it would be most effective if I ended my song with a single spot right…ew!" Sharpay looked down at the white substance now covering the bottom of sparkling silver heels. Scraping her shoes across the floor she called out, "Ms. Darbus, what is all over the stage?!"

"I'm not sure, Ms. Evans," Ms. Darbus replied, not looking up from her script. "I'll get one of the students who has detention with me to paint over it."

Sharpay let out a huff and marched off the stage. Gabriella and Troy couldn't stop laughing.

_A/N: I hope you all enjoy! I'd love to hear what you think! If this story goes over well, I may have an idea for a more full-length story. Thanks for reading!_


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